​Last week, I wrote that the New England Patriots shouldn’t preemptively deal an impact player at the NFL trade deadline amid defensive players Christian Barmore and Carlton Davis reportedly being available for trade.Ultimately, the Patriots didn’t make any transactions on Tuesday.Although I cited the offseason as a better time to move either defender, I noted the defense’s encouraging Week Eight performance against the now 1-7 Miami Dolphins as a potential turning point for what has largely been an underwhelming and injured unit through the first half of the season.That didn’t stick.It’s hard not to be concerned about New England’s defense after last Sunday’s deflating performance against the Green Bay Packers. Those reservations are especially warranted when the Patriots’ most expensive cornerback room in the league allows two receivers, Matthew Golden and Christian Watson, to combine for 335 yards and two touchdowns, with each logging career highs.All-Pro Christian Gonzalez, entering 2026 on a four-year, $135 million contract extension, allowed 10 receptions for 187 yards, per NextGen Stats.“I’m a Christian Gonzalez fan,” NFL Hall of Famer Ty Law said on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. “I just expect more out of him … I have never been a part of a situation in my 15-year career where a secondary played that bad … That’s unacceptable … You got the bag. You have to play better.“I’m seeing a lot of things that aren’t right when it comes to the New England Patriots’ secondary. Where is the leadership? Where is the communication? … Is it the players or the coaching?”After the game, Gonzalez took responsibility for his poor performance but also isn’t “too worried about it.”“I think Christian [Gonzalez] just did it to himself,” two-time Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan said on the Up & Adams Show. “I loved his comment … He said, ‘Hey, I’m allowed to have a bad day. I had a bad day.’ He doesn’t have a lot of them, and that’s going to happen. Watson and Golden are different [types of receivers] … He had to deal with them both.“Part of being a number one corner is that you have to guard whatever comes out there … Credit to what Green Bay did, but I think mentally he was in his head. He had a slow start, and [then] it continued … That’s the life of being a number one cornerback. You have to bounce back, and I think he will.”Head coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged that he expects more from Gonzalez while emphasizing that the rest of the defense must improve overall.Gonzalez’s struggles are surprising, but the organization paid him for a reason. Another performance like that would be an outlier.Still, his shortcomings highlight an underlying factor that has seen a steady decline in not only Gonzalez’s play but also the inconsistencies of the defense.A lack of executionOver the past week, Patriots defenders across multiple positional groups have cited execution as something to im